Annunciator.



R. R. METZ.

ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. m6.

Patented ay 22, 191?.

R. FLMHZ. ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED- JULY 24. I916.

ROBERT R. METZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANNUNCIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application tiled July 24, 1916. Serial No. 110,865.

' provide an annunciator for automobiles adapted to be placed at the rear end of thecar but controlled from the drivers seat, enabling the driver of a car that is equipped with this invention to indicate for the benefit of those following him what direction the driver of the car so equipped intends to take.

In the drawings, Figure 1.is a front elevation of the annunciator, meaning that said figure shows an annunciator as it appears from the rear of the automobile to which the annunciator is attached; Fig. 2 is a front view of theannunciator, the outer casing being removed; Fig. 3 is a' section on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail in section on the line 55, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a de-' tailin section on the line 66, Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a detail in section on the line 77 Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 8.8, Fig. 3. I y

The annunciator is provided -with an outer shell or casing 1 within which the operating parts are adapted to be retained. The customary ruby light 2 and lamp 3 for illuminating the sameare placed near the top and above the spacing 4' where the license plate can be secured. The casing 1 comprises back and front plates which are cross-connected at sundry places by webs 5 and 6, but thesides 7 andbottom 8 are open in order to permit the annunciating devices to be exposed from time to time.

Pivoted to one wall of the casing at 9 is a swinging-arm 10, and upon the other side of the annunciator is a similar pivot 11 .carrying thev similar arm 12. At the bottom of each of the two arms 10 and 12 are shells 13 and 14 which aresubstantial duplicates of each other and. only one of which will be described. At its front, shell 13 carriesa pane of glass or transparent material 15, which bears the word Left, Right, or some other designation, and when the parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 2, the

shell 13 is invisible, being concealed by the front wall of the casing 1, but since'the arm 10 and the shell 13 supported thereby is adapted to rock upon the pivot 9 as an axis until it reaches the dotted line position, Fig. 1, the driver can elevate the arm 10 and casing 13 (or arm 12 and casing 14) to the dotted line position, Fig. 1, and thus indicate in which direction he intends to turn. Inside of the shell 13 is a lamp 16 adapted to be lighted at night, rendering the word or words upon the panes 16 visible. Helical springs 17 tend normally to return the'arms 10 and 12 and the parts carried thereby to the position of Fig. 2. At the upper end of arm 10 is apulley 18 to which one end of a rope or cord 19 is secured, said rope' 19 pass ing over pulley 20 and extending from said pulley 20 to a lever (not shown) within easy reach of the driver. Arm 12 is provided with a similar pulley 20 connected to a cord 21 passing over pulley 22 and extending,

also, to the driver, while a third pulley 23 receives the cord 24 which controls the vertically-moving shell 25 (marked Stop), all of said pulleys 20, 22, and 23 being journaled upon a'common axis27.

In order to avoid unnecessary waste of current, the lamps within the shells 13, 14, and 25 are ordinarily not lighted, but means presently to be described are provided to close the circuits and thereby light said lamps only when the respective shells are exposed and moved to dotted line position, Fig. 1, as they will be from time to time as the driver actuates one or more of theropes 19, 21, and 24.

Instead of swinging the shell 25 from a vertical to horizontal position, the same is vertically reciprocated, being carried from the full-line position .to, the dotted line position of Fig. 1. To said shell 25 the vertically-movable slide 28- is secured, which said slide 28 bears the projection 29' which passes through or beneath the guides or straps 30, members 28 and 29 being insuwhen the end of said rope which is actuated by the driver is moved so that the rope trayels in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 3,

' When the arm is raised to the dotted line the shell and the slidable parts which support the same are depressed and earned to the dotted line position, Fig. 2.

' As previously stated, there is a lamp 16' within the shell 13 and a similar lamp within the shell 14. The socket in which lamp 16 is mounted is so constructed that the posrtive current entering the lamp passes through suitable conductors insulated from the shell, while the negative currentis permitted to return to the battery (not shown) or other source of current supply through the shell itself and through wires or conductors in electrical connection therewith. Inside of the shell 13 the sleeve .is secured, being protected by a jam-nut 36, the lower end of sleeve 35 being screw-threaded to 'receive the lamp 16. Insulation 37 is interposed between the shell 35 and the conductor 38, the bottomend of said conductor 38 being adapted to bear againstthe button 39 carried on the lamp, the screw-threaded outer surface 40 of the lamp and button 39 position the top end (Fig. '17) ofthe conductor 38 will strike the spring-controlled plunger 48 and in that mannercurrent from the wire'44 will enter .thelamp, the current passing successively through the conductors 42, 47 49, 38, and 39 to the lamp. After having passed through the filament of the lamp the current will return to the battery through the shell 40, sleeve 35, shell 13, arm 10, and stud or pivot 9 to the main casing 1. This casing bears the boss-50 and bindingrpost 51 from which the wire 52 extends. 'The lamp within the shell 14' is adapted to be lighted in the same manner.

The circuit for the lamp within the shell 25 issomewhat difierently constructed, however,ithe parts being arranged to close the circuit when the shell is in exposed or dotted line position and to open the circuit under other-"circumstances. The wires 44 which light the lamps within the swinging or rocking shells 13 and 14 both extend to the cable 53, and a wire 54, which likewise extends to said cable 53, forms part of the circuit for the lamp 55 within the' shell 25. As best shown in Fig. 8, theshell 1 is insulated at 56 and 57 from the spring-brush 58 made of brass or other conducting material. A conspring-controlled thecircuit through the lamp'16 and hght- 130 tact surface 59 en ages said spring-brush 58 and slides vertically therealong establishing electrical contact from time to time between the two members. Said contact surface 59 is secured to a conducting bind- 79 ing-post 60 from which the wire 61 extends,

being fastened thereto by the knob 62. The

binding-post 60 is mounted upon. the slide, 28, which is made ofcbhducting material, suitably insulated from the bindingrpost 60 at 64. The lamp 3 within theshell 25 may be mounted as indicated in Fig. 5, which figure indicates, also, the mounting of the lamp 3 behind the ruby. glass .2. V The wire 61 is connected to a conductor 65 insulated .at 66 from the shell 1 (or shell 25 as the case may be), which conductor 65 connects with one pole of the lamp 3","thelamp being received within the socket 67 which is in electrical connection with the shell 1 or 13. Current entering through the wire 61-will pass from the filament of the lamp and return to the battery through the socket 67 .to the shell 1 or 25.

Secured upon the outer casing 1 and in electrical connection therewith, is an anglebracket 68 formed of some conducting material, and uponthe slide 28 another anglebracket 69 is placed, likewise made of conducting material, the bracket 69 being suitably insulated from the wire 61 but in electrical contactwith the slide 28. The wire 54 is in electrical connection with the spring brush. 58, so'whenthe shell 25 and supporting parts therefor are moved to the dotted line position, the angle-bracket 69, moving vertically with the slide 28, will strike the angle-bracket 68 secured upon the casing 1, and thus close the circuit, for the eurrent will pass successively through the wire 54, spring-brush 58, head 59,bindingpost 60, wire 61, and post 65 to the lamp. Returning, the negative current will pass through the shell 25, arm 28, angle-bracket Y 69, angle-bracket 68, and easing 1, fromwhich it will return to the battery.

The operation of the annunciator is as follows:

The parts normally are in the positions respectively depicted in Fig. 2 with the various hollow shells 13, 14, and 25 retained "within the casing 1. If the driver of the car bearing the annunciator wishes, for example, to turn to the left, he pulls upon the rope 19, thus moving said rope in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, and this causes the arm 10 and shell 13. to swing about the pivot 9 as an axis until the position indicated in 1:41 lines in Fig; 1 is attained. The driver of any car or'cars which may follow will &is sign and will'he 'gov emeddingly. As the shell 13swings 7 upwardly, the conductor 38 will engage the plunger 49', thus closing ing said lamp. The object of providing the spring-controlled plunger 49 instead of an unyielding member against which conductor 38 may strike, is to permit the parts to adjust themselves as Will be required, from time to time, and insure a perfect electrical contact notwithstanding the irregularities in the size and shape of the difierent parts and similar difficulties encountered in actual practice.

To operate the shell 14 which is marked Right, the rope or cable 21 is pulled by the driver, causing the shell 14. to move to the dotted'line position. When the driver of the car that bears the annunciator desires to stop, however, he pulls upon the rope or cable 24, thus depressing the shell 25 which will move downwardly until it reaches the dotted line position of Fig. 1, at or about which time the angle-bracket 69 will strike the angle-bracket 68, thus closing the circuit and lighting the lamp 3 within-the shell 25. The various parts will remain in dotted line position only so long as the driverretains his grasp upon the particular rope or cable 19, 21, or 24, which he may have actuated, becau-sethe parts will all be normally returned to starting or full-line position because of the contraction of thehelical springs 17, one or both of which are expanded whenever any one of said cables or ropes is pulled and the parts controlled thereby moved to dotted line position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A11 annunciator comprising a casing, an annunciating member pivoted therein, a second annunciating member also pivoted therein, said annunciating members being movable in directions opposite to each other, means to cause said annunciatingmembers to swing about their respective pivots and thereby become exposed, and a third annunciating member which is slidable within said casing, means being provided to slide said last-mentioned annunciating member, whereby to expose the same and during the exposure thereof, to positively hold said first and second mentioned annunciating members in retracted position.

2. An annunciator comprisinga casing, an annunciating member pivoted therein, a second annunciating member also pivoted therein, said annunciating members being movable in directions opposite to each other, means to cause said annunciating members to swing about their respective pivots and thereby become exposed, a third annunciating-member which is slidable within said casing, means being provided to slide .said last-mentioned annunciating member, thereby to expose the same, and a spring connect ing said first and second annunciators to the third, whereby outward movement of said third annunciator positively retracts. the

other two annunciators.

the other end to said third arm whereby movement downwardly of said third arm tenses said springs.

4. In an annunciator the combination with right and left annunciating arms suspended upon pivots disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane, and means for swinging said arms outwardly on their pivots, of a third slidabl e annunciating arm movable vertically, two springs joined to said third arm by one end and at their outer ends joined respectively to' said right and left for .drawingflsaid third arm downarms, said springs maintaining all three arms normally in retracted position, and

,dneans for sliding the said third arm whereby said springs are tensed.-

5. In an annunciator the combination with,

right and left annunciating. arms suspended from spaced pivots which lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, and means for swinging said arms outwardly 'on their pivots, of a third annunciating arm positioned between the right and left arms and slidably mounted for vertical reciprocation, apair of springs each secured at one end to said third arm and secured at their outer ends respectively to said right and left arms at -points above the point of connection with said third arm, said springs normally mains taining all three arms in retracted'position, and neans for sliding said third am downwaflily.

6. In an annunclator the combination with right and left annunciating arms suspended from spaced pivots which lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, and means for swinging said arms outwardly on their pivots, of a third annunciating arm positioned between the right and left arms and slidably mounted for vertical reciprocation, a pair of springs each secured at one end to said third arm and secured at their outer ends respectively to said right and left arms at points above the point of connection with said third arm, said springs normally'maintaining all three arms-in retracted position,

means for sliding said third arm down-' wardly, and an opaque shield covering all of said. arms when in their retracted positions. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. ROBERT R. 'METZ. 

